How to Light a Disco Ball

A disco ball is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to create lighting effects for a party. With nothing but 2 spotlights and a simple Styrofoam ball covered with mirrors, you can create dazzling, spinning lights that fill an entire room. Add a good stereo system and strobe lights and you're ready to party.

Things You'll Need

Disco ball

Disco ball motor

Adjustable spotlights

Colored lenses

Mounting gear

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Hang the disco ball as close to the center of the room as possible. Make sure that it is high enough that no one will bump into it.

Get 1 or more disco ball spotlights such as the one linked to below. Getting 2 or 3 spotlights will give you a better effect than just 1.

Cover the spotlights with different colored lenses. This step is optional, but it will create a more interesting and varied lighting effect.

Mount the first spotlight high on the wall shining directly at the disco ball. Adjust the focus so that the beam is just wide enough to shine on the whole disco ball. If the spotlight is properly adjusted, it should create a hemisphere of light, illuminating half the room.

Mount the other lights. If you only have one other spotlight, mount it directly across from the first one so that they are facing directly towards each other with the disco ball in between. If you have more than one, stagger your spotlights so that they overlap, creating a more complex lighting effect.